


The Sun, The Moon And The Stars

by Liyi



Series: 00 line is the best! [3]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Multi, Romance, Sliceoflife, alittlebitofmarkhyuck, markgetsagirlattheend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-28 18:21:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15712566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liyi/pseuds/Liyi
Summary: Jeno has a lot of feelings regarding his friends.





	The Sun, The Moon And The Stars

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this for a super long time and I'm finally pleased with it. This is the prequel to Love Always. This is Jeno-centric, so I'm really wondering whether I should come up with something to explain Jaemin and Renjun's side since there are some things that were left unspoken since this is Jeno's point of view. Pls enjoy!

Lee Jeno's family has a thing for astrology. 

His parents often tells him that if it weren't for their love of star-gazing they wouldn't have met, and thus he wouldn't have been born. 

But, to be truthful, despite the many times they took him along on their star-gazing dates, he never really saw the appeal of it. 

Sure it was pretty, but beyond that Jeno didn't care for it. 

That began to change when he was five. 

He was playing with his best friend Jaemin at the playground in the sand pit, ignoring the ruckus from nearby over some kind of toy. 

The one voice that was loudest belonged to a boy named Lee Donghyuck. 

Ever since they met a year ago, he's found the boy to be loud, sassy and a thorn in his side. 

A constant nuisance that won't go away since he happens to get along with Jaemin and thus it also means that Jeno has to be nice to the boy. 

(It doesn't help that Donghyuck steals Jaemin's attention away from him as well, which he refuses to admit is the problem.) 

Jeno sighs, finally getting annoyed by the noise and turns his head to look just as Donghyuck finally wins the toy. 

The boy holds the toy truck high above him like some sort of price, and Jeno can't help thinking that the soft rays of sunlight filtering in from behind him makes the scene look more dramatic than it should. 

But what grabs his attention most is the bright smile on the boy's face. The exact same smile that Jeno has come to, reluctantly, admit is pretty.

 _Very pretty._ A tiny voice whispers in his head as he stares at Donghyuck. 

He should have looked away by now, but his mind has gone blank except for one thought. 

Donghyuck's like the sun. Bright, but sometimes he can burn as well.

(That realisation sticks with him for some time and on his sixth birthday he receives a book about stars. 

As he flips through it, something catches his attention. 

It's one small sentence that makes him smile unknowingly. 

_The sun is also a star._ ) 

•

By the time he's seven, Jeno has learned to like the star-gazing trips his parents take him on. As long as they don't bother him too much, he likes to sit back and just gaze up at the night sky.

"That sounds like fun." Jaemin mutters a bit sadly as Jeno recounts his last trip. The boy has developed an interest in the stars, but like most things right now he doesn't expect it to last too long, so he's a little shocked when his best friend suddenly springs an idea on him the next day.

"Jeno, do you think you can take me on one of your trips?" He asks a little nervously as they lay on his bed.

Jeno turns his head, wondering why he would want to come along when it's not much fun at all, but upon seeing Jaemin's sparkling eyes full of hope, he finds that he can't quite say no to him.

"Well... I can ask my parents if you want to come?" He offers, and immediately Jaemin pounces on him in happiness, nearly flattening him under his weight. 

His parents don't say no as he had expected, and on a early Saturday morning they leave for the countryside. 

Jaemin looks out the window in awe at the green rolling hills. He's a Seoul boy through and through, having never left the comfort of the city and Jeno can't help feeling a little excited that he's here with them. 

When evening hits, his parents bring the pair out to a field where they're meeting up with some other friends. 

They're told to stay close by before they're left alone as the adults walk away nearby where they can get a better view. They choose to sit down right there and Jeno removes his backpack to take out something.

"Here." He pushes the book into Jaemin's hands. "It's a book about stars." He explains upon seeing the boy's confused look.

"Isn't this the same book you got for your birthday last year?"

"It's a copy my parents had." He explains, opting not to tell his friend that he had specifically requested this book for his birthday so that he could give it to Jaemin.

"Really? Thanks!"

Jaemin's excitedly flipping through the book, and as Jeno looks at him he finds that even the stars above in the sky don't quite compare to the stars held in Na Jaemin's eyes.

("What are you staring at?" He asks out of the blue, and Jeno suddenly startles out of his thoughts.

"It's n-nothing." He stutters out, blushing furiously.

Jaemin suddenly laughs, falling back onto the grass and Jeno's hitting him for laughing as he falls down beside him. 

As he looks into his best friend's eyes, he's warmed by the stars he sees.) 

•

Jeno's eleven when he realizes he has a problem. 

It's not even Jaemin and Donghyuck for once. It's actually fifth grade math. 

The subject is kicking his ass. 

Lee Jeno and math do not go well together, a fact that Donghyuck regularly bemoans when he's being tutored in the subject by a 'certificated math genius' as his best friend puts it. Despite that Jeno's always short of passing by a few marks. 

(It's probably because he spends more time staring at his tutor rather than the questions. And the fact that Donghyuck _isn't_ a certificated math genius. Just because he happened to get a seventy-five _one_ time doesn't make him one. )

It's no wonder he ends up staying back with his homeroom teacher Mr Kang to discuss about his grades. 

"Jeno, I think it's best if we get someone else to tutor you." 

_Thank god._

"I know that Donghyuck is your best friend, but even if your scores for math has improved your still failing overall. I'm sure you don't want that right-"

"Who will be my new tutor?" He cuts in, unable to wait.

"Huang Renjun." And Jeno's smile falters.

The same Huang Renjun who was first in his grade for academics. He was a smart boy from what little he knew of him, but Jeno had never approached him before out of shyness.

Renjun had only came to Korea a year ago with his parents from China and transferred into the school in the middle of the year. He seemed quiet and shy from what he had seen, but more than anything he was overwhelmingly _pretty._

With fair skin, large brown eyes and a kind smile, he had stolen the hearts of many boys and girls in the school, including Jaemin.

He wouldn't say he was jealous, but it made him feel... strange. And not in a good way.

Jeno sighs. At least it wasn't the girl in third place, Hari. She had a huge crush on Jaemin and for some reason just seemed to hate both him and Donghyuck. Somehow it didn't make him feel any better though.

But the boy can't argue against it, so Jeno obediently nodded his head and the next day they're both summoned to the teacher's office. Renjun's listening to Mr Kang speak while he's just staring at the boy's face.

He really was quite pretty, and somehow it makes him uncomfortable, especially when the boy in question turns to face him and smiles.

 _He has a really pretty smile._ He thinks to himself before snapping out of it. That was such a weird though he just had.

Jeno barely pays attention to what the teacher is saying that when he's finished speaking, he has no clue what was just discussed. 

"You two got that?" 

Renjun nods his head while Jeno freezes, unsure of what they spoke about. But at the raised eyebrow he got from his teacher, he gave a short nod of his head as an affirmative. 

He really should have paid more attention to what Mr Kang said, because the next day after school he finds Renjun waiting for him outside of his classroom. 

"Hi." He greets cheerfully and by his side Jeno can clearly see the star-struck look on Jaemin's face. 

His mouth thins into a line for just a moment before curling up into his signature smile as he looks at Renjun. 

The Chinese boy actually looks uncomfortable glancing between the three boys in front of him that his smile slips a little, looking a bit like a cornered animal. 

Good, Jeno thinks to himself, ignoring the itch in his heart that wants him to make the other smile again. 

"What are you doing here?" He asks politely.

"We have a study session today. Did you forget?" 

"Oh... are we holding it at school or...?" Jeno questions, trying not show that he completely didn't know what he was doing. 

"He should come over!" Donghyuck exclaims. "We were already planning to head to your house weren't we Jaemin?"

"Huh? Y-Yeah we were. You should come over...."  Jaemin mutters out shyly and Renjun visibly relaxes. 

Jeno's a little shocked by this turn of events, and he knows that Donghyuck is doing this on purpose. The large grin on his face and the mischievous look in his eyes makes it clear he knows exactly what he's doing. 

"But what about Jeno... are you okay with it?" Renjun asks, and there's a no right on the tip of his tongue, but when he looks up to see those hopeful pair of eyes the words seem to turn to dust in his mouth.

Thinking about it, Jeno has never seen Renjun with anybody else rather than Chenle, another foreign Chinese student who's been in Korea longer than him by only a few months and Chenle's best friend Park Jisung who happens to be Donghyuck's cousin as well. But they're not in the same grade as Renjun, so usually he is alone.

He's _lonely._ It's loneliness mixed with hope that he sees in those pair of eyes that swallow him whole and leaves him unable to speak.

"I'm gonna take that as an yes." Donghyuck cuts in, lightly hitting against Jeno's shoulder to shake him out of his daze as he walked over to Renjun, slinging his arm over the boy's shoulder. 

"You okay?" Jaemin asked softly as Donghyuck started to drag Renjun along. 

Jeno offered him a weak smile, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Jaemin didn't seem totally convinced but left it at that as he run to catch up with the other two. 

Jeno watched from behind as the three of them walked together, a feeling between jealousy and desire forming in the pit of his stomach as he watches. 

(The feeling doesn't go away once they're in his room. 

Renjun's supposed to be tutoring him, but Donghyuck and Jaemin are both distracting him from doing his job. 

He wishes he could say he was angry, but even he's having too much fun to say otherwise when Jaemin reaches over and pokes him in a sensitive spot and Jeno laughs. 

Afterwards their all spread out on his bed, and the two troublemakers seem to be asleep. Jaemin's head lays on his lap, and he strokes the younger's hair absentmindedly. 

Jeno stares up at his ceiling where he has stars spread out against the dark blue paint. He's not thinking of anything and just as he's about to fall asleep out of boredom, he hears Renjun speak. 

"Hey Jeno?" The boy asks quietly. 

He hums back softly as an indication that he's paying attention. 

"Do you like stars?" 

"Stars? Well... my family does."

"Hmn... then do you have a favourite star?"

Jeno furrows his eyebrows taking a moment to think it over. "... No, I like all of them I guess."

He glances over to look at the boy. Renjun has a thoughtful expression on his face, and a small smile playing on his lips as he leans against the window pane above his bed. 

"Rather than the stars, I prefer the moon."

Jeno stares for a while at the boy before finally asking, "Why?" 

Renjun glances down to look at him, and in the soft lighting of the sunset, he seems to glow from within. 

And the growing smile on his own lips is all the answer he needs.) 

•

Jeno would always say that the age of twelve was the weirdest year in his life. 

It was a time of change. Of growing tension and shifting relationships. 

It was the time that Renjun became a constant fixture in his life, and became the point of change in his relationship with Donghyuck and Jaemin.

It was odd to be honest, his relationship with Renjun. It wasn't that Jeno didn't like the boy, in fact he liked the boy immensely.

If it weren't for him, Jeno would have failed fifth grade math of all things, and when he had passed, he had given Renjun a giant hug as thanks. 

He could still remember the way he had stiffened before relaxing, and how his arms felt when he put them around him. 

(It was nice. Maybe a little too nice that he had found himself blushing afterwards.) 

But things hadn't changed for them at school like they did outside of school. Jeno still didn't go out of his way to talk to him, and in some ways, their relationship had gotten worse. 

Donghyuck and Jaemin clinged to Renjun no matter what the situation was, and whenever he saw the way they would eagerly bounce over to the boy, that same, weird, ugly, feeling would always rise in his stomach. 

They expected him to join in, but looking at their bright faces, it only makes it harder for him. 

Jeno always looks away so that he doesn't have to see their expressions of disappointment.

Even he's not quite sure why he's acting this way, but his gut tells him to shy away. To not fall too far until he can't get back up.

Jeno has no intention of drowning.

After a while, they learned not to expect much, but it still hurts when Jaemin runs over to Renjun without a second thought. Donghyuck lingers longer, making Jeno glance over to him in slight confusion.

"You know... you don't have to be jealous." He says softly, looking over to him with a soft smile.

"W-What do you mean?"

"Renjun can never replace you Jeno-yah... you're our hyoshinie after all~" Jeno rolled his eyes as Donghyuck cackled in gee.

Even though he tries to act like he's fine, there were still tears blurring his vision. He knows it wasn't just that that was bothering him, but what does it matter when Hyuck is trying to cheer him up? He can take his time and figure it out. 

Donghyuck gently reached over to wipe his tears away. "Crybaby." He remarks with no bite. 

Jeno found himself wishing that the other would have let his palm stay longer on his face as he leans into the touch, but when Donghyuck slips his hand down to fit into his, he realised that this was slightly better in comparison. 

(As Jeno laughs along with Renjun's jokes, a feeling rises in him that stuns him for a moment. 

This was where he belonged. 

A mere boy in the presence of his sun, moon and stars.

He wouldn't have it any other way.) 

•

Jeno was blind-sided.

Being only fifteen, he had no romantic experience other than a few insignificant crushes, so when he's hit with a overwhelming realization, he isn't at all prepared to deal with it.

It was Valentine's day, and in recent years he had began to receive love letters in his locker from girls. But by far the one who receives the most is Jaemin.

( Jaemin with his blinding smile, kind personality and unnecessarily flirty nature. He doesn't blame him for it, but girls fall left and right for it, thinking he's flirting with them, when really he does that to everyone.  
Sometimes he feels sorry for them because of it.)

His locker overflows with letters on this day, so much so that he has to go to them to help him go through all of them.

Jeno doesn't really care all that much about it, but since Jaemin asked him to help, he obediently reads through his pile during their lunch break underneath the tree they claimed as theirs.

It's then that he chances on _her_ letter.

 _Lee Hari_ , the name written in big black letters across her letter.

Jeno doesn't really know why she still bothers to send in her letters when by now, she should already know that Jaemin has absolutely no interest in her. It's been five years since her first letter, and yet she hasn't given up.

 _Is it foolishness or does she really like him that much?_ He wonders to himself as he starts to read.

_Dear Jaemin,_

_Another year, another letter. You must be sick and tired of me by now. I would be as well._

_But unfortunately, I'm going to write you letters until I finally stop liking you, so you'll just have to put up with me because I'm not going to apologise for my feelings._

_You know something Jaemin, you shine too brightly for your own good. That's why so many people like you._

_That's why **Jeno likes you.** Yes, I do mean your best friend in the whole entire world._

_I think the only one who doesn't know is himself, but to be fair boys are always a little oblivious. But you would think he would have noticed by now, especially since he doesn't like just you._

_Come on, I've seen the way he looks at you, Donghyuck and Renjun, he's utterly a fool for you guys._

_I know you get your friends to read your letters for you, so if you, Lee Jeno, are the one who is happening to read this, then confess already. Do you know how long I've been waiting?_

_And if anybody else happens to be reading this, then at least now you know that Jeno's in love with you :)_

_Love, Hari_

Jeno stares dumb-founded at the letter for a while before snapping out of it.

Dear god he can't give this back to Jaemin. What if he reads it? And if he reads it and- Wait.

 _Reads it and what?_ What was Jeno even so nervous for? It can't be that he actually...

He glances over to the other three. Luckily they hadn't been distracted by his little freak-out and Jeno finds himself staring.

Finds himself staring at the serious expression on Donghyuck's face, the moles scattered across his face, his tan skin that seems to be glowing in the sunlight.

Staring at Jaemin, who has a wide smile on his face and a light pink blush over his cheeks. His eyes shining with light.

Staring at Renjun, who has a small pout on his lips as he reads the letter. His fingers twitch with the urge to straighten out the furrow between his brows and-

Oh god, he _does_ like them.

•

Jeno doesn't quite know what to do with these new-found feelings of his, so he hides them.

He hides them for two years, because he knows that the other three see him as merely a friend.

It was the only explanation. After all, Donghyuck is in a long-term relationship with that one senior named Mark, Jaemin was dating people- both boys and girls since he's come to realise that he's actually bisexual- and Renjun... he's still single, but he treats Jeno only as a friend.

And so he hides his feelings. Pushing them down somewhere where he hopes they can't be found again.

Jeno's worked hard to not let them get in the way of his friendship with the three. He's worked so hard that he doesn't expect that just a few minutes could destroy two years worth of building walls around his heart.

It starts in the middle of the night. Jeno is trying to fall asleep, but all he does is toss and turn in bed.

Something's going to happen. He can _feel_ it.

It's then he hears the window opening by the foot of his bed opening, and a head peeks through.

"Jeno?" Donghyuck's voice filters through, small and uncertain.

"Yeah?" He replies. Donghyuck tumbles through the window, landing ungratefully in a heap of limps on his bed.

He shimmies his way over to Jeno, wrapping his arms around his waist and burrowing his head into his chest.

Something's wrong. Something must be really wrong for Donghyuck to come to him like this.

"Before you ask." The boy cuts in, voice shaking like he's about to cry. "I just wasn't able to sleep. That's all. Nothing else, so don't you dare ask anything."

Jeno swallows down his curiosity. If this was what Donghyuck wanted, then he would give it to him.

The two laid side by side in silence as he waits for an answer.

"... I broke up with Mark."

The words were spoken softly, so softly that for a moment, Jeno thought he heard wrongly.

"What? Why?" He asks in confusion.

"It wasn't working out between us. We're better off as friends." Donghyuck muttered, still sounding a little heartbroken.

 _No wonder he sounds like he wanted to cry._ Jeno tightened his hold on the younger, trying his best to comfort the boy.

"Ugh, why is it so hard? I was the one who ended it so why am I...? I don't deserve to cry." Donghyuck choked out shakily.

"Don't say that. You loved Mark, you gave your entire heart to him. I would be more worried if you weren't heartbroken." 

Donghyuck chuckled. "Yeah... to be honest, I don't know whether that's true. I mean, I did love him, but it was only ever as a friend I think."

Oh. Jeno doesn't quite know how to answer that. 

The two of them don't speak after that, and Jeno finds himself extremely tensed. Donghyuck was _really_ close to him, meaning he could feel _everything._

His poor heart was pounding away in his chest, but fortunately the boy seemed to have fallen asleep in the meanwhile.

Slowly Jeno distangled their limbs, moving away so that he could see the whole of Donghyuck's face.

Under the moonlight, he can see the tear streaks on the younger's face, and he feels his heart ache a little.

Jeno sighs. Despite the fact Donghyuck was always so loud and over the top, the boy wore his heart on his sleeve and was sensitive.

He always tries to be tough, but Jeno's grown to be able to see the wobble in his lips, the quiver in his eyes and the stutter in his words whenever he's about to cry. 

Donghyuck was both easy to read, but yet a mystery as well. 

Slowly he reaches out to wipe away the tear streaks gently. God, he hated seeing them cry.

It was like he could feel their pain, and he didn't like it at all. If Jeno could, he would take all their pain and make it disappear.

But life didn't work that way, and so all he could do was hold on tighter to Donghyuck, and help him make it through.

•

"Jeno? Jeno!"

He was woken up yet again by a voice in his ear, and hands shaking his body.

He opens his eyes a little, catching a flash of dark brown hair that could only belong to, "Jaemin?"

"Get up. I have to talk to you." He orders, pulling him out from under his covers.

Jeno glances over to the sleeping figure of Donghyuck. Luckily he wasn't awake, but the boy could usually sleep through anything so that wasn't too much of a surprise.

What was a surprise however, was looking at the digital clock on the bedstand next to Donghyuck's head.

"What the heck Jaemin, it's only 5:30!" Jeno whines in disbelief as the boy drags him outside.

"So? Still have to talk to you." 

Sighing, he lets Jaemin do what he wants, eventually bringing them to the living room downstairs where he struggles to stay awake on the couch.

"Don't fall asleep on me! This is about Injun!" Jaemin huffs.

At that, it catches Jeno's attention. "Junnie? What about him?"

As far as he knew, Renjun had been doing fine. What was so wrong that Jaemin wanted to talk to him?

The boy sighs. "I thought this would get resolved easily, so I didn't tell you guys. But it's been over a week and we're all getting worried."

Jeno was wide awake now. Renjun never got in trouble, so what was Jaemin on about?

"Last week... Injun got kicked out."

 _What?!_ "Kicked out?! What do you mean? Why would he get kicked out?!" Jeno blubbered in shock.

Renjun would never do anything severe enough to get himself kicked out!

Jaemin waits for him to calm down a bit, and once Jeno has regained what's left of his composure, the boy goes on.

"You know that recently Jun has been... struggling with some stuff. Like... you know.. his sexual orientation... Well, he's uhmn... he's come to the conclusion that he's ah... He's bisexual."

Some part of him feels sort of shocked, but the other half feels calm, almost like he subconsciously expected it. Either ways, why should that change anything?

"They didn't accept him? Is that what happened?"

Jaemin looks disheartened having to nod, and Jeno feels the same way.

How could Mr and Mrs Huang do that to Renjun? He's always known that their family situation was always a bit... unstable to put it, but he never thought it was this bad.

"Where has he been staying?" He asks, thought he can already guess at the answer.

"My house." 

Jeno sighs. "He should have told all of us. We could have helped him... I can't believe he only told you." 

He would be lying if he said he wasn't hurt. Renjun was one of his closest friends, someone he thought had put trust in him, only to find out that may not be the case.

_Why didn't you tell me?_

"Injun never told me! We live in the same neighborhood so I just happened to see it all happen. I convinced him to stay in my house because I didn't want to see him on the streets. The only reason he didn't tell you was because he didn't want to worry you or Donghyuck." Jaemin explains anxiously.

"Well, now we know."

It takes a moment for Jeno to process that he wasn't the one to say it, and he looks up to stare right at Donghyuck who looks more serious than he's ever seen the boy.

His face is overall a little puffy from crying, his hair is a mess, and his sleeping attire is far too big for him. 

But the fiery look in his eyes captures Jeno, when really it shouldn't in such a moment, but it does and he finds himself staring at the younger.

"Hyuck..." Jaemin mutters from beside him, sounding a little choked up for some reason.

Donghyuck makes his way down the rest of the stairs, plodding down right in-between the two.

"Come on, contact Renjun. We should talk."

•

When Renjun, still dressed in his pajamas, arrived at his house, Donghyuck had immediately went over to him and gave him a hug.

"You need it." That was all he said before Renjun melted into his embrace.

"Thanks." The boy muttered into Donghyuck's shoulder, feeling tears well up in his eyes.

"Silly boy, you should have told us instead of trying to deal with it on your own." He chided softly.

None of them said anything, letting the room fall into a comfortable silence.

There were questions floating around in Jeno's head, questions that he wanted to know the answer to so badly, but right now wasn't the time, so he quietly headed out of the room.

 _Come on Jeno. You can't be like this right now. **You can't.**_ He reminded himself, splashing water onto his face.

Right now wasn't the time to be wondering how and why Renjun came to the conclusion of his sexuality.

"Jeno?" He jumped at the voice, turning to face Jaemin with a pounding heart.

"Are you okay Jeno?" The younger asked worriedly.

"What do you mean? I'm fine Nana." He tries to lie, but Jaemin knew him a bit too well for that.

The boy cocked an eyebrow at him, "Really now? I can tell your lying by how you just called me Nana. Come on, I know you better than to be fooled by that. What's wrong?"

"It's... It's nothing Min. Don't bother yourself with it."

"It's Renjun. Isn't it?" The tone of his voice made it clear that he had already decided for himself.

"Jaemin..." He can't even fight back against it, because he would only be making excuses.

"Do you like him?" He flinches at the question.

"Min, I don-"

"Just tell me. Do you like him or not?"

Looking over at him, Jeno can't quite figure out what the expression on Jaemin's face means.

"...Yes." The answer slips out before he can stop himself.

Jaemin stares at him, and Jeno doesn't quite know what he want, except he's getting closer.

"Can I ask you something else?" There's just a hint of fear lingering in his eyes, and Jeno can feel his heart pounding like a drum in his chest.

 _What's going on?_ He wonders to himself.

"Do you like Hyuck?"

He keeps his mouth shut, not quite sure what Jaemin is trying to do. 

But he trusts the younger either way, so he gives him a truthful answer. "Yes."

He sees the boy swallow, looking away from his eyes to his lips for a moment.

Usually it wouldn't mean anything, but there's something different about his gaze.

"What about me then?"

Jeno chokes a little on his spit. "W-What?"

Jaemin nods, looking up at him. "Yeah. Do you like me? Just like how you like Hyuck and Injun."

He can feel his face heat up, probably making him look like a tomato.

Jaemin tilts his head to the head, looking oddly calm.

Jeno bites on his lip, struggling to answer. 

"And if I do?" He replies, not having the courage to give him a proper answer to his face.

Jeno's sure that Jaemin's going to push it, if it weren't for Donghyuck suddenly opening the door.

"What are you two doing?" He asks in a deadpan tone.

"Nothing." Jaemin replies, quickly leaving like he hadn't done anything.

Jeno sweats under Donghyuck's gaze, until the boy finally decides to give him a break.

"I'm giving you ten seconds to stop looking like a tomato." And shuts the door in his face again.

God, _what just happened?_

•

Jeno is about to get a heart attack.

Donghyuck has cornered him in one of the bathroom stalls, pinning him down with narrowed eyes.

"What's with you and Jaemin? He's been acting funny all week."

Straight to the point as always. But Jeno doesn't quite know how to answer.

Ever since what happened with Jaemin, there's something that changed between the two of them.

It wasn't obvious at first, since the boy clung to Renjun, evidently trying to cheer him up, but it was soon clear that something had changed.

For one, he was being even more affectionate. Not just with him, but with all of them.

Just the other day, Jaemin had leaned across and wiped off a stray piece of rice from his lips. Not that strange, but then he continued to stare at his lips, and for a second Jeno actually thought he was going to kiss him, only for the younger to smile and lean back like nothing happened.

But it wasn't like this new behaviour was exclusive to him.

"Hyuck, it isn't just me. Earlier he gave you the last piece of chocolate bread. _The last piece._ He never does that!"

His eyebrows furrow as he thinks about it for a moment."Okay so maybe your right." Donghyuck admits, confusion taking over his face. "But seriously, what's going on with Jaemin? Why is he acting like this?"

Jeno's a little puzzled as well.

"I mean, it isn't that I don't like it, but- do you think we should ask Renjun?" 

Out of the three of them, Renjun was the one most unfazed by Jaemin's behaviour. It didn't even seem like he noticed, or just didn't care.

He nods his head.

A few minutes later, Renjun is trapped in a stall by the two of them.

"Mind explaining what's going on?" He asks in puzzlement.

"What's going on with Jaemin?" Jeno's only a little surprised that their words came out in unison.

There's an amused tilt to Renjun's lips when he replies, "That's what you dragged me away for?"

Jeno is more than a little confused with his reaction, almost like he knew something.

"Don't worry about it. Soon enough you two will find out. Just don't be too shocked when you do find out."

 _What?_ With that, Renjun leaves the stall.

Jeno looks over at Donghyuck as the boy does the same, identical looks of confusion on their faces.

•

Jeno considers himself a patient person.

Unfortunately, when it comes to Renjun, Donghyuck and Jaemin, all the patience in the world doesn't last long.

It all comes to a head one week later, just as he's going home from a study session at Donghyuck's house.

Seeing as he lived the furthest away, he was the one leaving first, and it was the same time tonight.

As he walked up to the bus station, a bus had pulled up and  two people got off. It wouldn't have been all that noteworthy, if it weren't for the fact that the two people were Mark and Hari. The same Hari that had written that letter two years ago.

Eyebrows furrowed, he watches the two of them talk to each other, laughing and giggling before Hari leaves.

It creates an odd feeling in his chest, especially since he knows that Donghyuck's still struggling a little.

"Mark!" He calls out, scaring the older boy who hadn't been expecting it.

"Oh, Jeno." He greeted, smiling awkwardly at him. "How have you been?"

"Fine. Haven't seen you around recently." He made small talk, going up to the elder.

Mark was more awkward than usual, a dead giveaway that he felt uncomfortable. "Yeah, well- you know how it is. Me and Hyuck... you know. It's a bit difficult to talk to you guys." He stuttered out.

Jeno understood. He may have never been in a relationship of his own before, but he's seen what happened with Jaemin broke up with his first girlfriend. 

"I get it. But really you don't have to feel awkward. Your feelings just happened to fade. That doesn't mean that you have to avoid all of us. We're still friends aren't we?"

Mark looks a little confused. "Did Hyuck not tell you...?" He asked slowly.

"Tell me what?" He asked back.

Mark shook his head, snapping himself out of it. "It's nothing. I'm gonna head home now. See you later Jeno."

Before he could say anything in response, Mark had jogged away. 

Was it just him or was Mark trying to avoid him?

Jeno frowned. What was going on? Everybody around him was acting so strange. From Mark to Jaemin to even Renjun.

All he wanted was some answers, but yet nobody seemed to want to give him any.

If nobody was willing to tell him, he would just have to find out himself.

•

On the way back to Donghyuck's house, rain had started to pour, battering Jeno as he run faster.

Once he was on the younger's doorstep, he looked like a drowned rat.

He was cold, he was shivering, and at this rate, bound to get sick if he didn't get inside.

So as usual, Jeno opened the door with the key kept in the flower pot. 

But what he saw, was anything _but._

"What are you doing?" The words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself, and Renjun and Donghyuck pulled away from each other with blushes rising high on their cheekbones.

They were _kissing_. Jeno didn't have anything against it, in fact he had even gotten a little into it until he realised what was going on. 

They were _kissing._ And suddenly Jaemin was the one kissing _him._

•

Jeno has a really bad headache. His skull feels like it's being pounded into and his vision is dancing.

This was why you don't run in the rain, even if it was a life-changing moment.

Renjun made sure to drill that into his head, even if it was a little too late.

Upon finding out that he was sick, the three of them had taken it upon themselves to take care of him. Which for Jaemin meant babying him.

"Say ah." He held the spoon up to Jeno's mouth, much like a mother would do.

He wasn't disabled. He could very well eat his own food, but if it was to make the younger happy then, "Ah."

The little giggle that escaped from Jaemin's mouth was so worth it. Even if Donghyuck rolled his eyes at the sight.

"Ah!" He mocked teasingly, making the younger elbow him. "Jeno's sick! Don't tease him."

"He can still use his hands." Donghyuck shot back.

"I would do the same for you if you were sick."

"Really?"

"Yes. Because your all my babies."

"Are babies and boyfriends the same to you?"

"Babies won't actually complain though." 

Donghyuck actually looks speechless for once, and Jaemin beams at having won against him.

"Yah, are you guys fighting again?" Renjun asks, entering the room with a bowl of water and wet cloths

"Bickering is healthy." Donghyuck answers.

"Right. Just don't give Jeno an even worse headache with all your bickering."

It was right at this moment that the boy in question squeezed, bringing all three of their attention on him.

"Why did you even come back through the rain for?" Donghyuck chided gently, pouring.

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have found out that Jaemin and Renjun had already started dating and that they liked us as well." He retorts.

"This is your fault Nana. This is why I said we shouldn't drag our feet. Especially after they began to question us." 

Jaemin looks a little scandalised by Renjun's accusation. "Hey! It's not my fault I needed a little time. I wanted to make our confession a big deal! In the end it was all ruined though."

"Does that really matter?" Jeno commented. "We're all here in the end. Right where we're supposed to be."

Jaemin smiles while Donghyuck rolls his eyes. Renjun actually does something, leaning over to change the wet cloth on his forehead.

Jeno was just a boy.

A boy trapped in the gravity of his sun, his moon and his stars. And he wouldn't have it any other way.

( "Ooh. When did our Jeno get so poetic I wonder." Donghyuck teased, making him go bright red in embarrassment.

"Did I just say that outloud?"

"Yup." The three of them chimed together, making him go red. Ugh, how embarrassing. 

"You get what I mean." He muttered, struggling to keep calm, making the three of them laugh.

And that was when Jaemin squeezed.

"Oh god, your spreading your germs Lee Jeno!")


End file.
